One of Us
by Crina
Summary: Lily Potter has no idea what to do with her life, Scorpius Malfoy knows exactly what he wants from his.
1. Future?

I'm using the canon next generation with two changes: George married Katie, not Angelina, and Scorpius has a younger brother (Rigel).

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**Chapter 1**  
**Future?****  
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_December 3rd, 2029_

When Al opened the door, Lily burst into laughter. She couldn't help it – the day had been hard, customers pickier, slower and noisier than ever before, the whole world just too cold and grey and _December_ for her.

"Nice hair", she managed to say in the middle of her nearly hysterical giggles.

Albus, whose usually black hair was now bright pink, wasn't amused. "Are you coming in or not?" he snapped.

Lily wiped tears from her eyes as she stepped in. "So Violet has done some accidental magic again?"

"I wouldn't use the word _accidental_", Al said grouchily, picked his four-month-old daughter from the floor and handed her over to Lily. "All was well and we were both happy until I dressed her in pink. She's definitely taking after her mother."

Lily rolled her eyes as Al started to change his hair back to black. Little Violet drooled on her new set of robes, but Lily found she couldn't care – her day in Silk & Stocking, the clothing store where she had worked for two years, had been too long, too exhausting. It was good that Vivi, at least, could do what she wanted.

Al and Poppy's house was small and so full of things that Lily was constantly worrying about knocking something over. She sat down to an old, green armchair and prayed Vivi wouldn't start to cry. Two things she couldn't handle right now were crying relatives and _future_.

Al, his hair black again except for one pink stripe at the back of his head (Lily couldn't bear to mention about it), brought her a cup of coffee and smiled.

"How are you doing, sissy?"

"Fine", she answered automatically, without really thinking. And she was fine, really. It was no use to tell Al about how she dreaded the New Year's day and the following year. 2030. In August she would be twenty-two. It was much more pathetic to be a 22-year-old without a plan than it was to be 21-year-old who was still trying to find her place.

Perhaps she could travel a bit next year. Or get a boyfriend. Or maybe she could do the one thing she really desired – resign. But not before she had figured out what to do with her life. It shouldn't be that hard, everyone else had managed to do so. Why, Nancy was only a year older than she and had already mapped out the rest of her life!

Al looked at her doubtfully and Lily rushed to continue. "I am really. It's just so hard to find good Christmas presents to you all – like Jimmy, I've never found anything for him. What do you think I should give him? And –"

She babbled on nervously and Al kept giving her those funny looks, but at least he didn't say anything. Lily was grateful for that. Besides, she would get over this – this feeling, whatever it was. All she needed was a little change.


	2. Invitation

So, it's been a while... I should perhaps update more often. :) But here is chapter two, where you won't meet Scorpius, but instead you'll become acquainted with someone else.**  
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**Chapter 2**

**Invitation**

While in Hogwarts, Lily had been a Gryffindor. From the moment she had hurried to the red-and-gold table after her sorting, she had been quite amused by some of her housemates' attitude – the "I'm too pretty to be afraid of anything" -motto. Lily had no problems with admitting that she was afraid of many things – of snails, of little white poodles, of being orphaned, to name a few – but there was only one thing in the world she was truly terrified of.

That thing went by the name Scarlett Chambers and was the owner of Silk & Stocking. Miss Chambers (Lily simply couldn't bear to call her _Scarlett_ in any situation, not even inside of her own head) was a small woman with unnaturally bright red hair and a temper that made Uncle Charlie's dragons look like darling little angels. And Lily wasn't the only person who felt this way – every time Miss Chambers came into same room, babies tended to burst into tears, teenagers tried to hide behind each other's backs, and older people started to mumble something about You-Know-Who's rebirth. Everyone was afraid of Miss Chambers – everyone but Nancy.

Nancy Bailey, Lily's co-worker in Silk & Stocking, was a strange one. She knew and liked (or appeared to like) everybody, was always cheerful and so positive it was disgusting, and she never _ever_ lost her temper with any customer, no matter how picky they were – no, Nancy's smile and voice were always full of sweetness and honey. Lily had no idea how she managed to do it – the only solution she had come up for Nancy's constant chirpiness was that she must have hidden a bottle of Firewhiskey somewhere in the store.

Today Nancy was in even higher spirits than usual. Lily hadn't even taken off her jacket when Nancy already started gushing.

"Guess what, Lily! Guess! Oh, you will never guess this! It's amazing! And I know you won't say no – it will be so fun!"

"That's nice, Nan", Lily said calmly and took off her scarf. "What is it?"

Nancy jumped up and down, her brown curls bouncing, and clapped her hands extatically. Physically she may have been twenty-two, but mentally she could hardly have been older than fifteen. "Oh Lily!"

"Yes?"

Nancy clasped her hands. Her big blue eyes were full of excitement and cheeks glowed. "Oh Lily – I have invitations for the Daleys' ball!"

Lily stared at Nancy in disbelief. "You _what_?"

"I've got one, two, three, four invitations", Nancy said proudly and drew four envelopes from her pocket. "One's for me – well, obviously – and then there is one for you, Merry and Angel each."

Lily felt her heart starting to pound with alarming speed. The Daleys were an old wizarding family, never really noticed or appreciated before Voldemort's fall and the confusion which followed it. After the war many other old families had faded to the background, disgraced or near extinction, but the Daleys were different. They had made a fortune seemingly overnight and had been the domineering family in the wizarding Britain ever since the early 2000s.

The Daleys' Christmas ball was easily the most important society event during the whole year. The invitations were sent only to a selected few – even the great Harry Potter couldn't count on receiving one. And Lily had to admit that that was one of the reasons why she had always been so anxious to get an invitation herself.

"But – but – how did you get these – and it's so late!" she said, staring the envelopes.

Nancy shrugged. "The usual way. You know. I made a favour for a friend who has a friend. Which reminds me – I have a date for you."

Lily had heard those five words far too often. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Nancy, _you promised_."

"He's handsome and rich", Nancy said. "And nice, if that matters to much. You'll love him."

"No."

"But –"

"No means _no_, Nan."

Nancy sighed. "Fine", she said with very tragical tone, "do what you want. But if you don't go, I'm not giving you the invitation either."

Lily's jaw dropped. "You can't do that!"

"Try me."

"Blackmailing is illegal."

"Boo-hoo", Nancy said using the tone which made Lily want to strangle her. "It's your choice."

"You – you", Lily stuttered while trying to find a word that could describe all Nancy's evilness, "you witch."

A charming smile found its way to Nancy's lips. "So you are going?"

"Yes. But I won't like it."

"Great!" Nancy chirped. "You're going to love him. He is handsome and tall and athletic and did I already say he is handsome and well-educated and intelligent –"

Lily raised her hands to stop the flood of words. "Breath, Nan. Now, will you give me my invitation?"

Nancy looked at the piece of parchment she was holding and shook her head. "No. I'll give it to you _after_ you've had your lovely date."

"I hate you", muttered Lily.

The other girl's smile widened. "And I love you, Lily. Endlessly."

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So, what did you think?


	3. Date

**Chapter 3**

**Date**

Nancy had been right. This man was nice, handsome, polite, handsome, intelligent... And handsome. Very athletic. And he really did seem to want to know _Lily_, not the daughter of Harry Potter. She could very well learn to like him. In some wild fantasy they might get married, have eight good-looking children (none of whom were red-haired) and live happily ever after. She would be the Minister of Magic, he would be St. Mungo's most famous healer.

But.

Lily did not want to become the Minister of Magic, or have eight children, or live happily ever after with this man. There was something wrong with him. He was... Yes, he was too perfect, and Lily had never cared for perfectness. Besides, this man liked talking a little too much.

"...and then I said to my secretary that she should have made sure the numbers were right, and then she just started crying, right there in front of everyone, and I didn't know what to do! Crying women are such a nuisance. And then I..."

Yes, too much.

"...but you are really different than all other women. It's like you are... I don't know. I had never imagined you would be so down-to-earth, when your family is what it is. I actually remember you from Hogwarts, I was two years above you, and in different House, obviously. But even then I always thought you were really remarkable girl, and..."

Well, he _did_ have good taste. And that nose was really remarkably handsome, definitely something she would enjoy looking at while eating breakfast. Perhaps even their children would inherit that nose.

Lily, like majority of people, enjoyed hearing about her good qualities. So, naturally after he had started listing them, she could have sat there and listened to him for ever. Unfortunately for her, her bladder had quite other plans. For a while Lily was able to forget all those unpleasant feelings a bladder too full can cause, but finally, after almost peeing her pants while sneezing, she had to excuse herself and go quickly to the bathroom.

She relieved herself, and after washing her hands applied a little more lipstick. Next to her a young girl was almost in tears – the poor girl had somehow torn her dress and couldn't figure out how to fix it. The girl was really in a sorry state and kept repeating how she didn't want her new boyfriend to think she was a total idiot. Finally Lily, who at that point felt like a real saint, helped her with the dress. The girl hugged Lily enthusiastically, then hurried back to her boyfriend. Lily too took her purse and left the ladies' room.

Some people really were so careless about themselves, Lily thought while she walked back towards her table. People should look where they were going and –

She bumped into someone.

Lily barely managed to stay on her feet, but at least nothing unpleasant happened to her clothes. The man she had ran into wasn't quite so lucky – he was holding a glass of wine and when he tottered, the wine spilled on his robes. Real fancy robes, Lily registered with the eye of a someone who works in a clothing store. Horrified, she covered her mouth with her hands.

The man whirled around and looked at her. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I..." Lily started and tried to figure out what to say next. "I'm sorry?"

"Good", the man spat out and took his wand. He was about the same age as Lily, perhaps a few years older, and was already starting to behave like a middle-aged. What a shame. There was something familiar in him, but Lily couldn't quite put her finger on it.

After few taps of wand, the wine stain had vanished and the man started to look a bit friendlier. He looked at Lily again.

"You should really watch where you're going."

"I was!" Lily defended herself, even though a little voice in the back of her head whispered that perhaps she _hadn't_ paid that much attention to her surroundings. But that was only because she had had important things on her mind.

The man rolled his eyes. "Yes, and I'm Albus Dumbledore."

"In that case, I'm honoured to meet you, Mr Dumbledore. I thought you were dead."

As they stood there, glaring at each other, Lily suddenly recognised that light hair, grey eyes and pale skin. Of course, how could she have missed it? Of course he was one of them. A...

"Malfoy?"

The man – Scorpius Malfoy, he had to be, Rigel was younger and darker – lifted his chin defiantly. "Before you start making fun of my family, I'd better warn you." His eyes were really cold and hard, the way he was speaking reminded her of the way James had used to reacted when he was told he was just another Potter. "I've heard every possible joke and snide remark. If you can't be original, keep your stupid mouth shut."

"I wasn't going to..." Lily started, slightly taken aback, but then pursed her lips tightly together. If he was having a bad day, he didn't need to take it out on her. Therefore she stuck her nose little higher up in the air and walked away with what she hoped was queenly manner.

Her date, who bore the name of Philip or David or something, looked at her rather anxiously. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You took quite a while in there. If you have problems with your stomach, you should really try this potion my uncle made. He had problems too, and we could never invite him to our house because after his visits our bathroom smelled at least three weeks and..."

Nancy had thought they would be another match successfully made.

Nancy had been wrong. So, so, so wrong.


End file.
